Equipping: Paul Was a Provider (Colossians 1:28,29)

Extracted from The Maxwell Leadership Bible

Paul longed to present everyone complete in Christ. In Colossians 1:28,29, he speaks not of adding anything to Christ' redemptive work, but rather he declares his intention to equip others to realize their God-given potential. He did part of his equipping through letters like this one.

The apostle says his goal is to preach, warn, and teach so that listeners become complete in Christ. What does this mean? Part of it, no doubt, means that those he taught could reproduce themselves in others. Paul was an equipping leader with a heart to develop others. He was a provider for the people in his life. Providers are:

P urposeful: They approach others with a purpose; to add value.
R elational: They are warm and inviting and work at relationships.
O bjective: They assess strengths and weaknesses objectively.
V ulnerable: They model self-disclosure and honesty.
I ncarnational: They are examples of what they teach.
D ependable: They are consistent and responsible for their promises.
E mpowering: They give power away and facilitate growth in others.
R esourceful: They use every tool they have to grow people.